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Dive Brief:
- The construction unions of North America and Microsoft have joined forces provide AI training to the construction trades workers across the country, with the aim of scaling digital skills in apprenticeships and workplaces.
- The program, announced on April 21, focuses on AI literacy, data security and practical applications. It will help instructors generate lesson plans, tests and training materials more efficiently and introduce workplace use cases such as code compliance and security updates.
- The initiative is designed to reach tens of thousands of workers through NABTU’s network of training centres, with input from contractors to ensure the curriculum reflects real-world workplace needs.
Diving knowledge:
The partnership between NABTU and Microsoft reflects a broader push to define how AI will be used in construction.
The training is structured in phases, starting with data security and basic AI literacy before moving on to practical applications for both instructors and workers, according to Tom Kriger, NABTU’s director of research and education.
Early efforts have largely focused on improving the efficiency of apprenticeship programs. Instructors are trained to use AI tools to streamline administrative and teaching tasks such as lesson planning. The idea is to reduce the time spent on preparation and allow more time for hands-on mentoring.
“That’s the whole point, to make our instructors more efficient so they can spend more time with the learners,” Kriger said.
But the plan is also to increase awareness of use cases in the workplace, where younger workers have already begun to embrace AI informally. Focus groups conducted with trainees revealed that many use AI tools to solve real-world construction problems, such as interpreting electrical codes or keeping up with changing regulations.
For example, a key use case is security and compliance. Instead of manually reviewing extensive OSHA documents, workers and instructors can use AI to quickly identify updates or reconcile changes in standards that might previously require extensive manual review.
Still, construction presents a different environment for AI adoption compared to other industries. While white-collar roles such as estimating or accounting may see increased automation, Kriger noted that the hands-on nature of commercial work provides a buffer.
“AI can’t turn wrenches and it won’t lay bricks,” he said. “AI is more likely to support decision-making and access to knowledge than to replace manual labor.”
